rtland Head, and well
into West Bay. The revenue cutter was close to the Head. The yacht was
outside of the smuggler, about two miles to the westward, and about five
or six miles from the revenue cutter.

"Two vessels in sight, sir," said Mr Smith, coming down into the cabin
to Mr Appleboy.

"Very well," replied the lieutenant, who was _lying_ down in his
_standing_ bed-place.

"The people say one is the _Happy-go-lucky,_ sir," drawled Smith.

"Heh? what! _Happy-go-lucky?_ Yes, I recollect; I've boarded her twenty
times--always empty. How's she standing?"

"She stands to the westward now, sir; but she was hove to, they say,
when they first saw her."

"Then she has a cargo in her;" and Mr Appleboy shaved himself, dressed,
and went on deck.

"Yes," said the lieutenant, rubbing his eyes again and again, and then
looking through the glass, "it is her sure enough. Let draw the fore
sheet--hands make sail. What vessel's the other?"

"Don't know, sir,--she's a cutter."

"A cutter? yes; may be a yacht, or may be the new cutter ordered on the
station. Make all sail, Mr Tomkins; hoist our pendant, and fire a gun--
they will understand what we mean then; they don't know the
_Happy-go-lucky_ as well as we do."

In a few minutes the _Active_ was under a press of sail; she hoisted her
pendant, and fired a gun. The smuggler perceived that the _Active_ had
recognised her, and she also threw out more canvas, and ran off more to
the westward.

"There's a gun, sir," reported one of the men to Mr Stewart, on board of
the yacht.

"Yes; give me the glass--a revenue cutter; then this vessel in shore,
running towards us, must be a smuggler."

"She has just now made all sail, sir."

"Yes, there's no doubt of it; I will go down to his lordship--keep her
as she goes."

Mr Stewart then went down to inform Lord B. of the circumstance. Not
only Lord B., but most of the gentlemen came on deck; as did soon
afterwards the ladies, who had received the intelligence from Lord B.,
who spoke to them through the door of the cabin.

But the smuggler had more wind than the revenue cutter, and increased
her distance.

"If we were to wear round now, my lord," observed Mr Stewart, "she is
just abreast of us and in shore, we could prevent her escape."

"Round with her, Mr Stewart," said Lord B.; "we must do our duty, and
protect the laws."

"That will not be fair, papa," said Cecilia Ossulton; "we have no
quarrel with the smugglers: I'm